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The New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa is the primary residence route for skilled workers who want to live in New Zealand permanently. Since 24 August 2026, there are three ways in: the original six-point system, a skilled work experience pathway for people with a long track record rather than formal qualifications, and a trades and technician pathway. All three require a job with an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, and all three require you to be 55 or younger, in good health, of good character, and able to speak English. The SMC wage threshold is NZD $35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026, and the application fee starts at around NZD $6,450.
What Is the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa?
The New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa is a resident visa for skilled workers who can contribute to the economy. It lets you and your included family live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, and it is the most common pathway toward permanent residence and, later, citizenship. It is managed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) under the Immigration Act 2009.
The current system is deliberately simpler than its predecessor. Instead of totting up points across age, experience, qualifications and a job offer, the 6-point model asks one main question: can you demonstrate skilled, well-paid or well-qualified employment in New Zealand? Age is no longer scored at all — it is only a pass/fail cut-off (55 or under). That six-point system is still in place, but since 24 August 2026 it is one of three pathways rather than the only one. Two of the new routes ignore points entirely and test work experience instead.
The Points-Based Pathway: How the 6-Point System Works
This section covers the points-based pathway only. If you are going through the skilled work experience or trades and technician pathway, points do not apply to you at all — skip to the pathway sections below. To be invited to apply for the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa, you need a total of 6 skilled resident points. You claim 3 to 6 points from a single skill category — you cannot mix categories — and then top up with 1 to 3 points for skilled work experience in New Zealand if you need to reach 6.
Points from one skill category
You choose the one category that gives you the most points: New Zealand occupational registration, a recognised qualification, or income from your New Zealand job or job offer. Income points are based on multiples of the median wage, which is NZD $35.00 per hour from 9 March 2026.
| Points | Income (per hour) | Qualification (NZQF level) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3.0x median wage – NZD $105.00 | Level 10 Doctoral degree |
| 5 | – | Level 9 Master’s degree |
| 4 | 2.0x median wage – NZD $70.00 | Level 8 Bachelor Honours / Postgraduate Diploma |
| 3 | 1.5x median wage – NZD $52.50 | Level 8 Postgraduate Certificate or Level 7 Bachelor’s degree |
Updated 24 August 2026. Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that points for bachelor’s degrees rise from 3 to 4, that Washington and Sydney Accord accredited qualifications also rise from 3 to 4, and that a New Zealand qualification is now worth one point more than the same qualification earned overseas — with exceptions for doctorates and some master’s degrees. Anyone claiming points for a Level 8 or Level 9 qualification must now also hold a supporting bachelor’s or equivalent undergraduate degree, unless they are claiming 5 points for a New Zealand master’s. INZ has not yet republished the full points table in its operational manual; the figures above are the pre-24-August values, and we will update them as soon as the official table is issued.
New Zealand occupational registration also ranges from 3 to 6 points, depending on the registration type and the training required. Overseas qualifications must be assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) through an International Qualification Assessment (IQA), unless they are on the list of qualifications exempt from assessment.
Points from skilled work experience
If a single skill category does not reach 6, you add points for skilled work experience gained in New Zealand — 1 point per year, up to 3 points for 3 years. For example, a Level 7 Bachelor’s degree (3 points) plus two years of skilled New Zealand work experience (2 points) does not reach 6, but the same degree with three years of experience (3 points) does.
| Skilled work experience in New Zealand | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 1 |
| 2 years | 2 |
| 3 years | 3 |
The Skilled Work Experience Pathway
This pathway is for people whose case rests on experience rather than a degree. You need a job in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation, at least three years of relevant work experience, and a further two years of skilled work experience in New Zealand — five years in total. The job must pay at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold, which is NZD $38.50 an hour at the current $35.00 threshold.
One limit catches people out: self-employment does not count towards the work experience requirement on this pathway.
Amber list and Red list occupations
Alongside the new pathways, Immigration New Zealand introduced two occupation lists on 24 August 2026 that govern the skilled work experience pathway. If your job is on the Amber list, you can still use that pathway, but you must be paid 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold — NZD $42.00 an hour — rather than the usual 1.1 times. If your job is on the Red list, you cannot use the skilled work experience pathway at all, and the points-based route is your remaining option. Immigration New Zealand publishes both lists; check yours before you commit to a pathway.
The Trades and Technician Pathway
This pathway covers around 130 specified trades and technician occupations, most of them at ANZSCO skill level 2 or 3 — carpenters and joiners, welders, motor mechanics, refrigeration mechanics, architectural draftspeople and similar roles. Immigration New Zealand publishes the full list by ANZSCO code.
You need a qualification at Level 4 or above, at least two and a half years of relevant post-qualification work experience, and a further eighteen months of post-qualification skilled work experience in New Zealand — four years in total. The pay bar is the plain SMC wage threshold, NZD $35.00 an hour, with no multiplier.
The qualification rules differ by origin. A New Zealand qualification must be Level 4 or higher and carry at least 120 credits, which you may make up across more than one qualification where one is a prerequisite for another. An overseas qualification needs an International Qualification Assessment placing it at Level 4 or above, and the 120-credit rule does not apply to it. As with the skilled work experience pathway, self-employment does not count.
Eligibility Requirements
Points are only part of the picture. To qualify for the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa, you must also meet these requirements:
- Skilled employment: you must hold, or have an offer of, skilled employment with an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand (the same accreditation used for the Accredited Employer Work Visa). Your pay must meet the relevant wage threshold.
- Age: you must be 55 or younger when you apply.
- English language: you must meet INZ’s English requirements, usually through a recognised test such as IELTS or PTE, unless you qualify for an exemption.
- Health: you must meet health requirements, which generally means a medical examination and chest X-ray.
- Character: you must be of good character and provide police certificates.
You can include your partner and dependent children in your application, provided they meet the relationship and dependency definitions and the health and character requirements.
These requirements apply on all three pathways. The new routes change what you must demonstrate about your skills — they do not relax the age limit, the English, health and character standards, or the requirement that your employer be accredited and the job be at least 30 hours a week.
Which wage rate applies to you
Under the old rules, applicants could be caught by a wage threshold that rose between starting work and applying for residence. That is fixed. Your threshold is now set by the rate in force when you started gaining your skilled work experience in New Zealand, and once set it does not change — so a mid-stream increase to the median wage cannot disqualify you. If you have no work experience requirement, the rate in force when you submit your expression of interest applies instead. There is also a five-month grace period: if you started work within five months of your work visa being granted and the threshold went up in between, you can meet the lower rate from the date the visa was granted.
New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa Fees and Processing Time
The application fee for the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa starts from around NZD $6,450, with the exact amount depending on your nationality and where you apply. There may be additional costs for an IQA, English tests, and medical and police certificates. Processing times vary with the completeness of your application and INZ’s queue; check the official page for current estimates before applying, as these change.
How to Apply for the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa
The process is built around an Expression of Interest, not a direct application:
- Confirm your points: work out whether you reach 6 by combining one skill category with any skilled New Zealand work experience.
- Secure skilled employment or a job offer with an accredited employer that meets the wage threshold.
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to Immigration New Zealand, declaring your points and circumstances.
- Receive an invitation to apply, then submit your residence application with supporting evidence (identity, qualifications and IQA if needed, employment and wage evidence, English, health and character documents).
- If approved, you receive the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and can live, work and study in New Zealand.
From Resident Visa to Permanent Residence
The New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa is a resident visa, not yet a path to permanent residence. After holding a resident visa for the required period and meeting its conditions, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which removes travel conditions and lets you come and go indefinitely. For a detailed overview of the residence-to-permanent-residence step, see our guide to permanent residence in New Zealand. If the points-based route does not fit your situation, the overview of New Zealand visa types sets out the other work, study and investor options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa the same as the Skilled Migrant Category?
Yes. “New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa” is the common search term; the official name is the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa.
How many points do I need?
On the points-based pathway, you need 6 skilled resident points: 3 to 6 from one skill category (registration, qualification, or income), plus up to 3 for skilled work experience in New Zealand if required to reach 6. The other two pathways do not use points.
Do I need a job offer?
Yes. You must hold skilled employment, or have an offer of it, with an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, paid at the relevant wage threshold.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. You must be 55 or younger when you apply. Unlike the old system, age does not earn or lose you points — it is only a cut-off.
How much does the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa cost?
The application fee starts at around NZD 6,450, plus likely costs for an IQA, an English test, and medical and police certificates. Confirm the current fee for your country with Immigration New Zealand.
Does the Skilled Migrant Visa lead to permanent residence?
Yes. It is a resident visa; after meeting its conditions for the required period you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, and later New Zealand citizenship.
Which SMC pathway should I use?
Qualification or high income → points; long experience in a skill level 1–3 role → skilled work experience; a trade on INZ’s list with a Level 4+ qualification → trades and technician.
Is my occupation on the Red or Amber list?
Mechanism only
What changed on 24 August 2026?
Two new pathways opened — skilled work experience, and trades and technician — alongside the existing six-point system. Points for bachelor’s degrees rose, New Zealand qualifications became worth more than overseas equivalents, and the wage test was simplified so your threshold is locked when you start gaining skilled work experience. Immigration New Zealand also introduced Amber and Red occupation lists that restrict which pathways some occupations can use.
Source: Immigration New Zealand – Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
This article is for general information only and reflects rules current as of June 2026. Wage thresholds, fees and points settings change — and further changes apply from 24 August 2026 — so confirm the current requirements with Immigration New Zealand before applying.
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